Latest news with #BrianGrazer
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Oscar winner reveals his friends 'canceled' him for voting for Trump
An Oscar winner revealed that he had been 'canceled' by close friends after revealing he had voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Producer Brian Grazer, 73 - who is known for working on films such as A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 - opened up about the reaction he received for supporting Trump during a Fox Nation docuseries titled Art Of The Surge. The star - who has previously been a donor to the Democratic party - could be seen in the documentary at the Army vs. Navy football game in December 2024 which Trump also attended. At one point, Grazer paused to take a photo with the then-president elect inside a VIP suite at the stadium and informed those nearby that he had cast his vote for Trump, per The New York Times which reported on the docuseries. Brian also recalled telling a few women who he had voted for - and expressed that it had felt like he was 'getting canceled.' The producer added, 'All the women looked in and go, "You mean, you're not voting for Kamala?" And I go, "I just can't do that."' Brian continued, 'And then, one of them leaned in further, and said, "Are you voting for Trump?" And I said, "I am." I swear!' He later further explained the reasoning behind his vote for Trump in the election last year while talking to the New York Times. 'As a centrist, it was because I could feel and see Biden's deterioration and the lack of direction in the Democratic Party at that time,' Grazer stated. The Hollywood producer has supported Kamala Harris in the past - and was one of the contributors to her U.S. Senate campaign back in 2015. Brian also was a producer on the movie Hillbilly Elegy (2020), which notably is based on the memoir written by current vice president JD Vance. The film - which was directed by Ron Howard - garnered mixed reviews upon its release on Netflix, but received two Academy Award nominations. Grazer is known for his decades-long career in the entertainment industry, and has collaborated with Howard on a number of projects. The pair won an Oscar for Best Picture for the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind - which raked in seven additional Academy Award nominations. Aside from A Beautiful Mind, Grazer has been nominated for three other Oscars for the movies Splash (1984), Apollo 13 (1995) and Frost/Nixon (2008). Other projects that Brian has produced over the years include How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), 8 Mile (2002), Cinderella Man (2005), and The Da Vinci Code (2006). He has also been involved on a number of TV shows such as Arrested Development, Parenthood and Friday Night Lights. Both Grazer and director Ron Howard also founded the production company Imagine Entertainment together back in 1985. While talking to the Los Angeles Times in 2019, Brian opened up about why both he and Howard decided to adapt JD Vance's memoir Hillbilly Elegy. 'Ron and I like making movies about family. Everybody roots for family,' the producer explained to the outlet. 'We had the slightly dysfunctional extended family in "Parenthood," and we had the highly dysfunctional family in "Arrested Development," and this is another extension of the American family.' He continued, 'Everybody thinks their family is [messed] up. You cherish your family, no matter how [messed] up you think your brother is.' Other Hollywood stars have voiced their public support for Donald Trump - such as actor Zachary Levi. During a recent interview with Variety, the Shazam! star stated that he knows people who also voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election - but were 'afraid' to go public. 'I know it to be true because I've gotten messages from lots of people who I won't name but who were very grateful to me for taking the stand that I took,' Levi said. 'And also they would tell me, "I want to do that, but I'm so afraid." And I would tell them, "Listen, you're on your journey. I'm on my journey. You've got to keep trusting God."' He added, 'And if you feel compelled to step out in that way, then do it boldly and know that you're going to be OK. And if you don't feel that conviction yet, then don't. It's all good.' In October of last year, Zachary also urged 'closeted conservatives' in Hollywood to publicly speak out for Donald Trump ahead of the election. The actor - who had initially been in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - said on Instagram at the time, 'My cry to all of you out there, you closeted conservatives, closeted Trump voters, y'all, it's now or never, you know what I mean? 'Do whatever you feel like you need to do. If you need to come out publicly and say it, if you feel like you still can't, then don't.' Levi added, 'I would never pressure you to do that, but know that if what you're afraid of is somehow the backlash of an industry that's not going to exist very soon, then don't let that hold you back.' While he admitted to disliking Trump in the past, Zachary stated that he was straying away from voting Democrat due to the 'massive corruption' in the government. Other Hollywood celebrities who have voiced support for the 47th president of the United States also include Vince Vaughn, Mel Gibson and James Woods.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Documentary Series Goes Inside Trump's Bubble
A few weeks after winning the election, President-elect Donald J. Trump found himself face-to-face with Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, a rising star in the Democratic Party, as the two men made their way through the bowels of Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., to watch the annual Army-Navy game. The governor greeted him effusively. 'Mr. President, welcome back to Maryland, sir, welcome back to Maryland!' Mr. Moore said. 'Great to see you, great to see you, great to have you back here.' 'You're a good-looking guy,' Mr. Trump observed. 'We are very, very anxious to be able to work closely with you,' the governor added. Then he mentioned the ongoing efforts to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge outside Baltimore, which had collapsed that March. This chummy encounter was captured on camera for a documentary series called 'Art of the Surge,' now streaming on Fox Nation, which provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the adulatory environment in which Mr. Trump has moved since regaining power. The series gives a sense of how much he is enveloped by people eager to stroke his ego and get in his good graces — including some unexpected figures, according to advance episodes viewed by The New York Times. At one point, inside the V.I.P. box at the football game, Brian Grazer, a top Hollywood producer, gets his photo taken with the president-elect and confides to those in the room that he cast his ballot for the Republican. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
2024 World Series Apple TV+ Docuseries Reinvents Archaic Film Formula
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 30: The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate with the trophy after defeating ... More the New York Yankees 7-6 in game 5 to win the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 30, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by) The 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees featured two iconic franchises whose financial privilege is challenging Major League Baseball to answer competitive balance questions and outcries for a salary cap. Amid the uproar regarding the Dodgers' latest spending spree and dominance in acquiring elite Japanese ball players, Apple TV+ is set to globally release on March 28th a three-part docuseries entitled, Fight For Glory: 2024 World Series. Excellence in storytelling has created a cinematic experience that has never been seen in eight decades of World Series films. Each episode serves as a reminder how baseball imitates life while its beauty is manifested through humility and perseverance. Instead of a highlight reel celebrating the thrill of victory, Major League Baseball and Imagine Documentaries wanted to reinvent the World Series film. Imagine Documentaries is the home to award-winning filmmakers and producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. An all-star team of executive producers were assembled beginning with Derek Jeter and his CAP 2 Productions company. Alongside Grazer, Howard and Jeter, the trio were joined by Sara Bernstein, Mark Blatty, Marc Gilbar, Elise Pearlstein, Trevor Smith, Nick Trotta, Justin Wilkes and Justin Yungfleisch. Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler of This Machine was asked to direct the docuseries and serve as an executive producer. Cutler approached the project through a character-driven perspective with the 2024 World Series serving as the story's background. 'I saw a series of two titanic teams where game after game was one swing of the bat away from the other team winning,' said Cutler. A baseball fan with allegiance to the New York Mets, Cutler grew up watching 1986 World Series highlights on a VHS tape that followed an archaic formula. Major League Baseball began producing World Series films in 1943 to entertain troops who were engaged in battle overseas during World War II. Cutler wanted to capture the difficulties of baseball and how it could humble one of the greatest ball players on the planet such as center fielder Aaron Judge of the Yankees. He strived to tell a story that was delicious, dramatic and emotional while celebrating the humanity of baseball. Appropriately titled, the docuseries goes well beyond two large market franchises with payrolls of more than $300 million and a World Series rivalry that dates to 1941 when the Dodgers called Brooklyn their home. It demonstrates a sense of urgency while managing lofty expectations. Brian Cashman, senior vice president and general manager of the Yankees, explains in the docuseries how pressure is a privilege, and why it is a part of the franchise's brand. He takes it a step further by saying fans command and demand the Yankees to be excellent on an annual basis. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is congratulated by ... More Mookie Betts #50 after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by) Amid a galaxy of superstars, two of the most fascinating ball players are right fielder Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers. Freeman's perseverance through multiple injuries and his youngest son's battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome allows viewers to experience feelings of empathy. The bedrock upon which Betts' ethical code has been built begins with the sacrifices made by his mother who stressed the importance of humility and teamwork as his little league coach. Betts and Freeman are anomalies given how they subscribe to the act of selflessness amid the high-octane environment and narcissism in professional sports. Baseball's beauty is evident in the docuseries' usage of slow motion, camera angles, music and strategic placement of microphones. Two moments of distinction are Freeman's grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning in Game One and the Yankees' implosion in the fifth inning of Game Five. The inning-by-inning approach when analyzing key situations was done with meticulous attention to detail. As radio broadcasts have been the heartbeat of both franchises for generations, their incorporation as a visual component enhances the storytelling experience. Cutler wanted viewers to feel the agony of defeat as evident in Judge's pain on the Yankees falling short and why losing the 2024 World Series will stay with him until death. 'When I heard him say that I turned to one of my colleagues and said that's it,' said Cutler. Regardless of Judge's vast achievements and popularity, Cutler captured a moment where the captain of the Yankees felt as if he was a failure for not winning the 2024 World Series. 'Most of us have to contend with our characters and the nature of our lived experience being defined by setbacks along with successes and that's what baseball gets you,' said Cutler. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts at the end of ... More the top of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game One of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) Fans of a certain age will be overcome with joy as British composer John Scott's 'Gathering Crowds' makes a cameo in the docuseries. The instrumental has long been recognized as the closing theme song to This Week In Baseball, a popular television program which premiered in 1977 hosted by Mel Allen, a longtime broadcaster for the Yankees. The spirit of the Bronx is evident through the eyes of the Bleacher Creatures, courtesy of Marc Chalpin or in camera shots inside Billy's Sports Bar across the street from Yankee Stadium. The same could be said for Dodgers' fans watching the ball games from Cosm Los Angeles, the Japanese city of Ōshū and the Shibuya ward in the Tokyo metropolitan area. If the 2024 World Series were a baseball card and the average fan flipped it over to review the statistics, there would have been a lot of boldface type in black ink representing excellence. According to Major League Baseball, the 2024 World Series attracted more than 30 million combined average viewers in North America and Asia. In the United States alone, there was a 67% increase in viewership from the previous year. It was the most-watched World Series ever in Japan averaging 12.1 million viewers. The postseason pool derived from gate receipts set a record of nearly $129.1 million with a full postseason share for the Dodgers valued at $477,440.70 and $354,571.67 for the Yankees. While some might view the 2024 World Series as a disappointment given how the Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the New York Yankees over the course of five ball games, R.J. Cutler would be the first to disagree with that sentiment. 'The biggest takeaway for me about the game was its humbling nature. I've always known it about baseball, but I got to experience and see it in its blood flow,' said Cutler. Baseball's perfection and beauty was brilliantly portrayed by Cutler as he reinvented the formula when it comes to World Series films.
